Minus Six
by Extrinsical
Summary: A split second was all it took to change everything again. Everything. Lightning-centric, post-FF13. Based on the Japanese version of the game.
1. Viva La Vida

_**Minus Six**  
Prologue: Viva la Vida._

"I..." Lightning closed her mouth, and gave him a scrutinizing look that bordered on surprise. "Come again?"

An array of conflicting emotions danced within his bright, resolute green eyes.

His entire body screamed _restraint_, though what kind of restraint, she still could not entirely grasp.

For that matter, she thought, the idea he presented was near ludicrous.

"Light - " he said slowly. In his voice, nervousness warred with desire and hope and the possibility of failing. "I think - "

She stared back, waiting.

Hope, the boy-turned-man who was at the age of twenty-two, exhaled, deeply, and looked her straight in the eye.

"I think I may have found a way to wake them up."

_一_

"The properties of this - power source - we don't know what it is, yet, per se, but there's something in it that's just - "

Lightning rubbed the bridge of her nose lightly. He had been talking non-stop for the past...half hour? One hour? She wasn't entirely sure, but she knew he had started the moment they got on the transport to get to this...cave.

It hadn't been the most pleasant journey with flying predators roaming about, but Hope didn't seem to mind: he had spent the whole trip muttering theories and calculations under his breath in a way that reminded her of story-book mad scientists (which was actually eerily similar to how Serah acted when she poured over old Pulsian notes).

Now, they were walking in this cool, dark cave, weaving through paths and tunnels marked by dim lamps; and his voice echoed quietly in the silent tunnel.

"Hope," she cut in finally, and he stopped to glance back at her. She gave him a look, and said dryly, "please save me the technicalities."

"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly, and she almost snorted in response - a sign of her amusement and fondness both.

The silver-haired man turned to nod at a fork in front of him then. One side went deeper, and it was darker; presumably no lights set in place. Not fully explored yet, maybe. The other...looked like it was a room of sorts, only more...cave-like, and more lit-up. "And we're here. Sorry about the long journey."

Lightning walked in, and stopped immediately in her tracks.

She knew, of course; Hope had mentioned it the day before and even earlier while he rambled, but actually _seeing_ it after nearly a decade was... _well_, she thought wryly. _I guess I wasn't as prepared as I thought._

Fang.

And Vanille.

The twin crystals before her had been excavated and removed from Cocoon before transported to this cave. And around them was an array of equipments, wires, machines - one of which beeped rhythmically - and below the crystals were the rollers that had been used to move them.

Who would have thought?

All these time, she thought that all she could do was _wait_. That was what _all_ of them thought. Fang and Vanille had woken up before; they could do it again - it was just a matter of when. But now Hope was saying something else..

She turned to him, and looked into his eyes carefully. "So you really think it's possible?"

He nodded. "From what we found - the old Pulsian books that the excavation team discovered - " Lightning remembered that, vaguely; Serah was one of those involved in attempting to decipher them, " - and actually finding this - " Hope paused, glancing at the pool of glowing green liquid, catching for the right word and failing.

When the silence stretched too long, he grimaced, and instead said, "...this pool of yet-to-be-named-water. If there's a name for it, Serah and her team hasn't found it yet."

Her gaze trailed to where he was looking, and she pivoted to stand before it. She stared at it for a moment before bending down - her right knee pressed on the rough surface of the cave, and blue eyes observed the small, shallow lapping of green, glowing water.

Beside her, Hope continued. "We don't know what it is or what it can do, but there's this - _something_, that felt familiar to me. Like...like..." He was growing agitated.

She watched white smoke waft up from the pool. There wasn't any smell emanating from it, but it felt...heavy, and dense, for lack of better words.

The soldier waved a hand through the smoke, dispelling it testingly. The smoke was neither warm nor cold when it touched her skin, and she moved to dip her hand in the pool; her finger grazed the surface of the water -

"It's like - like - "

And she _felt _it.

As with the smoke before, the liquid was curiously neither warm nor cold, just..._there_, with a temperature that must have matched her hand for her to not feel the heat or chill.

Now -

" - _magic_."

It was as if something was rushing up her hand, galloping, from her blood and veins and nerves and rushing up _rushrushrush_ - her blood _boiled_, her heart thrummed, and something was _filling her_ to the _core - _and she was suddenly dizzy, _dizzy_, and ancient words, _energy_, knowledge, thoughts _LEAVEwhowhySTAYchildmy _she couldn't even begin to understand were floating _LEAVELEAVEBEGONENOSTAY_ _CHILD CHILD CHILD _and whizzing through her brain and -

_- MY CHILDREN -_

Lightning jerked her hand back sharply, as if it took _all _her strength to do so, gasping for breath and she staggered backwards, almost dropping to the ground if it wasn't for Hope grasping her - and her chest - the place where her _brand _once was, it _burned_ -

She could barely hear his words - he was shouting something, frantically, but nothing of what he said was _registering_, it just wouldn't get _in, _and she wasn't _breathing_ -

The soldier blacked out.

_一_

A white, white, colorless world..

She didn't know why or how she knew _white_ was all around her, even when her eyes remained stubbornly closed.

Maybe it was because she felt the light and warmth brushing against her face somehow.

_You shouldn't have done that, Light._

She was floating, somewhere, ghosts of warm wind lapping against her skin. The thoughts, those ancient knowledge, and _everything_ about that which previously threatened to make her head explode - somehow or some way, it had all been...stopped.

But it was still there. She could sense it. It was there, waiting, _waiting_, wanting to get _in again_, just beyond her reach, stopped, blocked by _something_.

_Something_ was holding it back, and for some reason, hints of blue sari, orange-red hair, spear, rod - they danced just outside her reach -

_You are messing with things you can't even begin to understand_, another voice echoed in her mind_._ It was soft, pensive, strained, lacking the joy and cheerfulness it had almost a decade ago.

She struggled to open her eyes. What was..?

_You don't belong here either. You have to go now._

_Wake up, Lightning_.

" - wake up!"

Her vision swam.

"Light! Light - !"

Frantic, blurry green eyes were right in front of her.

Her head throbbed sharply, and there was something warm and thick flowing down from her nose. Distantly, she heard voices - the room spun and she was struggling to breathe properly - someone was holding her against a body - the grip tightened protectively -

" - Sazh! SAZH! Get help - !"

There was something in her hand, the one that had touched the water.

Something cold, round, smooth, and marble-like that she could feel but didn't seem to be _holding_ - she felt a swell of familiarity and _comfort_ emanating from the ball - it was something so intricately tied to her, her _soul_, and the place where her brand was once seared with _hot_ _fire_ - and it was - it was -

_Odin_.

It was just a split second of _realization_, and the pain in her head _spiked_.

And that thing - the ball-like thing - it rolled out of her slack grip and dropped to the ground - _Odin_ -

For the second time, oblivion claimed her.

_一__一__一_

Foreword: The first thing you need to know and I should say is that, no, Lightning's not l'cie again. There will not be anymore l'cies, regardless of ex or no.

The second thing you _must_ see is that I'm writing this based on the **Japanese Version **of the game, hence the label in the summary. Yes. As much as it amazed and exasperated and annoyed me when I found out, the characters _are_ characteristically different to that of the localized English version of the game. It is still beyond me how they can change so much when the scenes are essentially the same, but I'm not going to start ranting here, or it's going to be really, really long.

The tl;dr version: It may not be immediately obvious, but characters will feel odd to you at later chapters if you didn't watch/play the Japanese version. Certain dialogues that were central to the Eng version, it does _not_ exist in the Japanese version. And it's vice versa. I wasn't amused to find a certain wisecrack belonging to Sazh missing from the Eng ver. And NORA actually has a different meaning in the J. ver, and it's...frankly, it paints Snow in a much better light. I actually liked Vanille in the J. ver. Fang fans, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have that Australian slang removed or at least muted. And did you know our band of l'cie actually has a _title_ for themselves? _Fang _created it. And Lightning...my _biggest_ gripe...bah. I'm already ranting. I'm stopping here before it gets too long and over a couple pages gdsafsfdskj.

Readers, I _implore_ you to find the Japanese ver and play/watch. Yes, translations and subs _do_ exist. This is The Internet, after all.

Okay. Now on the actual topic I should be going into; the fic itself.

Hrmmmmn. If you can actually already figure out where I'm going with this when I barely hinted on it, I'll be impressed. And as you can probably guess, this is going to be a long fic. A good amount of time had been spent to work out kinks and gaps of the plot, with massive help from Rae the Beta who refused to name herself co-plotter but actually is. Though, there are still a lot of other things not worked out yet. And I generally just fail at writing long fics, given how easily uninspired and busy I can get. So, really...the time spent is to ensure that the fic will hopefully not die. So hopefully, and with any luck, this fic will be completed with time.

Reviews and thoughts, of course, would be most encouraging. Thanks to Rae for her help in beta-ing/plotting, and hope it was a good start.

- Extrinsical


	2. rise and shine

Pre-notes: There's a certain dialogue reference to the Japanese version of the game here. This is _not _existent in the localized English version of Final Fantasy XIII. If you find yourself getting confused when this certain thing pop up, yes, it's probably related to this.

Song quote below is from _Gravity_, by Vienna Teng.

_**Minus Six**  
I. rise and shine_

_"...these are the scars that silence carved..."_

It was a place she greeted day and night for much of her life, save for the past eight years.

Bodhum's seaside beach.

She'd walk past the early, grey-white sky of the seaside when leaving for work. In the wee morning hours, it had always been quiet, the beach empty of people, empty of sounds and cheers and laughter; and in its place, she'd hear the sound of waves so clearly they sometimes resonated, with cries of birds reaching out to their companions in the distant sky.

And when duties demand it, she'd come by in the afternoon for whatever was it she needed to perform - break up fights, apprehend little thieves, drag a drunkard to jail... and every time, she would always spare a moment - just a moment and no longer - to ingrain the sight of the bright, clear blue sky into her mind; the feel of soft white sand under her feet.

At sundown, when she didn't have overtime work or night shifts, she'd spend at least five minutes feeling the wind, and letting the warmth of the reddish-fire sky soak into her skin before heading home. She'd do the same even if it was late in the night (and that happened often with her demanding job), when the sky was an enchanting black with stars that glittered brightly.

And just a little -_ just a little_ - when she would stand there and close her eyes briefly and _just feel_, something would _uncoil_.

That stunning scenery, the feel of the wind and the warmth of the sun, the sea-salty scent of the air - this was the place she'd grown up in. This was... the one place she had missed the most.

(_ - _and maybe that was why she's here _now - _)

White, grey sky.

The wind was chilly; the loose sleeves of her shirt and pants grazed against her skin softly, and her hands tightened their clasp slightly on her raised knee. Beneath her, the wooden planks she sat on felt almost as if they were rocking; the waves of the sea under the pier were a little strong, now.

After nearly a decade of _this_ being missing from her life, she was, once again, at Bodhum seaside beach.

And she relished it.

There was a part of her - the soldier side of her - that thought, vaguely, something was wrong. That something - _she_ - should _not _be here. That Bodhum was no longer accessible. The town that she knew and grew up in, with everything in its place, with the same sky and wind and sea, was no longer there. Even if this town hadn't been destroyed, it would have, at the very least, been damaged after the Ragnarok event.

_This_ _should not exist_, something told her.

But a larger part of her didn't care much.

She didn't know why, and the sense of urgency, concern and wariness that should have been at their height - they just weren't there.

Then a shadow loomed over her back; she didn't have to see it, she felt it from the lack of warmth.

"I should have figured that of all places you would have loved to be, it'd be here."

It took only a split second for Lightning to recognize that voice, though she didn't turn to confirm her suspicions.

Her eyes closed (_they shouldn't_, the soldier part of her warned, and an even smaller part of her questioned, _where is my sword?_), and she inhaled, lightly, tasting the salty air. "Should I be surprised to see you here?"

There was a pause before the question was tossed back, almost guardedly. "Should you, Light?"

"I don't know."

An honest admission, one that didn't even take a moment of hesitation.

She could almost feel the surprise radiating from the person behind her at her answer.

The shadow moved soundlessly; and now a figure was sitting next to her.

A silence stretched.

Then:

"You know you shouldn't be here, don't you?" that person asked at last, casually, almost humorously.

Lightning obliged with the briefest of nods, eyes still closed. She did know, though not why and how. "Mmn."

A warm hand grazed her shoulder before pressing into the nape of her neck, brushing against locks of faded cherry, tugging gently, turning her around a little -

"Look at me, Lightning."

For a moment, she didn't resist. Though why, she could not fathom, and didn't try to find out (she _should_, something told her, but she wasn't). Then a thumb brushed against her cheek, moving to just below her ear, almost featherlike -

Lightning's move had been instinctive then - her own hand shot up to grasp that appendage; fingers wrapping around smooth, velvety fabric - and her eyes opened to meet the most piercing stormy green; green that was void of humor and amusement it usually had, green that was far too serious and somber and sad and _sad -_

Expressions that did not suit _this_ person.

They confused her. Startled her.

Her grip on the black-sleeved wrist tightened.

And the confusion she felt must have showed, because that finger pressed more firmly, almost tenderly, against her cheek -

"You.." the pink-haired woman paused, for the briefest moment at a loss for words, then - "You...you're sad."

A ghost of a smile appeared on that face. Lightning wondered if she accurately observed a hint of bewildered amusement.

"...I am," was the quiet admittance.

Her head tilted slightly in response, questioning.

An even longer silence that stretched this time, and Fang - _Fang_, a small part of her mind finally named - stared at her with the most serious eyes she'd ever had, looking like she was trying to search for something and coming up with mixed results.

That was when Fang's eyebrows creased, and she sighed, a wry grin on her face.

And for the third time since she had known Fang (the first time was in Palumpolum, when they talked about Vanille, the second time was the battle with Orphan - ), pain, sadness, and _anguish _were written so clearly in those eyes.

"You have to wake up soon, Light."

_一_

"What's on your mind?"

This voice, unlike Fang's, was noticeably more timid; too cautious, too worried, and too strained.

And oddly enough, Lightning did not know the answer to the question. She didn't know what was on her mind.

"I...don't know."

The footsteps were much less quiet this time, and she heard the wooden planks _creak_ with movements that eventually stopped beside her, where Fang once sat (how long ago was that? Five minutes? Thirty? One hour? Two? A day?).

She glanced up to peer into pensive cerulean eyes that drifted away after a moment, opting instead to look past the sea distantly.

That girl - _Vanille_ - clasped her hands behind her back, shifting restlessly from foot to foot; expression conflicted.

The soldier didn't say anything; her gaze trailing back to the sea, sky, to the white and blue and white and white..

"Hey, Lightning?"

"Hmm?"

"How's...Serah?" was the unexpected, almost random, question.

She paused (a small part at the back of her head started to ring with alarm, but it was still too muted). Serah. Serah Farron, sister, three years younger than her, was in crystal stasis, got out of crystal stasis, married Snow -

"She's..." vaguely, Lightning remembered her reading Pulsian notes late into the night, remembered the makeshift wedding ceremony that was put together by a bunch of ragtags that called themselves NORA, remembered her laughing and sad and worried and smiling, remembered the girl whom she abandoned everything to save - "...doing well."

"..That's good to hear." Vanille sounded as if she expected that answer, voice brightening a little (but why was she expecting that answer?). Then it faded, sounding guilty. "I didn't get to apologize to her."

A pause. Then:

"You know she has forgiven you, Vanille." She didn't know why or how she knew that Vanille would know; she just _knew_.

The answering response was a slight, almost forced smile.

Then the topic was switched back. "When you have time," the younger girl (though chronologically older) said as if to address her previously unsaid question, "with little else to do, all you do is...watch. And observe."

"...Watch?"

"Mmhm."

The soldier had the faintest feeling that she should ask how and what Vanille watched, but she didn't.

"They are anxious, Lightning." Vanille said quietly. "And they are worried."

They? They...who?

She should know this. She _should_.

The ringing at the back of her head grew just that bit louder.

"Hope's running himself ragged. Serah hasn't really been sleeping."

Something, some part of her she couldn't describe, stopped at that; and she turned to look back at the other girl.

And finally, Vanille turned to look at her pensively.

Cerulean blue; pale blue.

"You have to go back, Lightning."

_一_

"She's protecting you, you know."

She? She, who?

"She's the reason Vanille and I am here, trying to get you back home."

That confused Lightning, and she told her as much (but there was a part of her, some part of her _soul _that knew this _she_, knew it like the _back of her hand_, knew it like she understood her own sword - ).

"I've no idea what you're talking about."

"You don't?" was the casual question.

"I..." she paused. She wanted to say no. But there was something stopping her. Something that she should recognize but didn't. "...'She'?"

"She." Fang's voice softened just that little. "And she's afraid for you. She didn't realize..." The Oerban woman trailed off, grasping for the right word and not really succeeding. "She didn't know that you were you, and in the confusion and surprise of everything, she just...did too much. She didn't know you were_ you_, at first."

This time, Lightning _was_ completely confused, and she glanced up from where she sat to stare at Fang, who stood next to her, spear hooked loosely under the elbow with arms crossed.

Under the red-orange sky - there was a strange, almost enchanting, gold hue to Fang's nearly black hair; the freckles of grey and brown somehow more distinct, the iris in those green eyes just that much easier to see, the play of dark shadows on her skin and face making her features all the more pronounced -

"I'm me." She semi-parroted back, confusion and a demand for Fang to explain herself clear in her tone.

The taller woman arched an elegant eyebrow at her. And for reasons Lightning just couldn't grasp, there were equal amounts of muted relief and sadness flashing past those green eyes -

"Not so lost after all, are you?" murmured Fang, this time strangely amused.

"I..." Lightning's mouth closed. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I...no. No, I'm not." The answer came just as quickly, as easily, like she had always _known_ it - but questions, so many of them, were bubbling deep in her, and she couldn't even begin to catch any of them - "I...don't belong here, do I?" she asked, the question odd even to her, but strangely most fitting and _needing _to be out.

The relief in those eyes was palpable this time. "No. No, you don't. Go home, Light. It's past time you should."

Yet, a part of her hesitated.

The Pulsian warrior looked like she sensed that, and stared at her.

Silence stretched.

"What are you waiting for?" Fang asked at last, her tone almost cautious and just that bit suspicious. "You already..." a pause, then as if realization struck, "you've known since your first conversation with Vanille and I, haven't you? You knew you didn't belong here since then."

It was Lightning who broke the eye contact and looked away.

She did know. Or at least, a part of her did. It was the part of her that demanded she look things in the eye and take things head on. It was that very part of her that threw facts in front of her unrelentingly while slicing idealistic fantasies away.

So yes. She did _know_.

And Fang apparently knew that as well as she did.

It was almost funny; Lightning felt as if she could hear the gears working and shifting in Fang's mind, and then the taller women bent down on one knee, grasped the soldier's chin with a finger and lifted it back to face her in one swift motion before she could even do anything -

"Are you..." Fang stopped, conflicting emotions playing in piercing green eyes, and then she continued with a voice so low and soft and _forced_, "...Is it because we are here, Light?"

The silence Lightning graced her with spoke volumes.

She pushed that finger away with the back of her hand, and turned to stare at the sea; and how the waves glinted gold and orange.

"_Light_." This time, Fang's tone was filled with a sort of fond exasperation.

In response, she sighed, closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose; face twisting in a half-grimace, feeling as if her chest was tightening just that _little bit_ -

Then she stiffened in surprise when she felt an arm reach around her, pulling her into Fang's body, pressing the side of her head against the older woman's collarbone; and she could barely react, let alone figure _how_ to react with the astonishment filling her -

"Fang - "

"Masters of Miracles, remember?"

She stopped, the thought of shoving Fang away frozen momentarily.

Her right hand curled instinctively into a fist.

"Go home, Light." Fang said quietly, and she could almost feel the soft vibrating from where she was pressed into - "your family needs you, and you know that."

She did.

"And, well, you know." Though Lightning didn't see it, she knew that Fang's lips had curled into that trademark smirk of hers. "With how miracles come to us, you'll probably see us sooner than you think."

That she couldn't help but snort at, and she sighed, feeling herself relax just a little in Fang's grip -

"Both of you better."

The soft chuckle was all she heard and felt before her eyes closed of their own accord.

_一_

Pat.

Pat, pat, pat.

Pat pat.

Pat!

"_ - lair...an lair - _"

There was something soft on her cheek, patting gently, and insistently. And her skin felt as if it was being soaked by warmth though she couldn't see it, as if some sort of warm light had been directed at her.

" - Aun lair - "

Then she felt as if her shoulder was being tugged.

Lightning tried to open her eyes, a process that seemed too difficult to even do - there was a dull, consistent throb at the back of her head, and she was strangely lethargic; all she wanted was to return to the darkness.

But the insistent patting on her cheek, and the tugging, spurred her to try harder.

And after what seemed to be an eternity - first squinting from what she thought was bright light, then allowing for her blurry vision to adjust and clear -

She was face to face with pale blue eyes. They were a near mirror to the shade of her own eyes, and they brightened instantly -

"Aun lair!" Small, chubby hands were instantly wrapped around her neck, and she was hugged tightly. "yu wade."

"You're awake," Lightning parroted instinctively, with a voice hoarse and raw from disuse, her own hand pressing into that small back gently, almost absently. A child? She forced herself to ignore the dull ache at the back of her mind, trying to remember who - this - this child that was barely even a quarter her height is, who loosened her hold and scrunched her face at the correction.

A small face, blue eyes, faded soft blonde locks that were nearly reaching the length where it could be tied -

"...Raine?"

It was as if Lightning saying that name was all the child needed to light up with a happy grin; chubby fingers patted her cheek gently again, eyes wide and staring intently as if to be certain -

"Yu awe wade."

That...was an improvement, she supposed, feeling vaguely amused now.

"Raine." She tested the sound on her lips. Yes, she knew this name.

Her sister's baby kid. Her niece. Four years old in a couple months. The quiet, intelligent child that was more calm Serah than exuberant Snow (thankfully).The little girl she had grown fond of. Raine Villiers.

Raine.

And then it all came back to her, foggily, in flashes - but more than enough for her to piece things together.

Hope. Green water. Fang, Vanille. Green water. Foreign, _ancient_ thoughts she could not even begin to understand (and oddly enough, a small part of her told her in no uncertain terms she would _never _be able to - ) then blacking out and then - then...then..._what_?

Something growled.

Lightning blinked and sat up, the dull throb at the back of her head spiking momentarily; her arm cradling the little girl to her easily, as if it was something she often did.

"Im hungi.." Raine muttered, though she was obviously not objecting to the hold, wrapping her small hands around her aunt once more.

There was a long pause before Lightning could even begin to think of what to say or do; her thoughts still felt too muddled, distant, and strange. And there was something - some sort of _presence_ somewhere,_ in and around _her, something so foreign and familiar and comforting and _frightening_ all the same; sticking to her like a persistent little parasite that didn't

_and wasn't going to_

suck her blood and overtake her - but it was there, _there_, and it wasn't leaving, caressing her _somehow_ with a phantom touch, grazing all over her skin and giving her goosebumps only to soothe it the next moment - and it was strange, strange, _strange_ _and foreign_ to her and all so _comforting and reassuring_ at the same time -

"Can ee get some food, aun lair..?" That voice, belonging to that of her niece, pulled her out of her muddled thoughts - _she was sinking just now, sinking into something she couldn't recognize and wasn't sure she could get out_ - like a lifesaver she never knew the child could be - and she choked out a sudden, shuddering breath, suddenly realizing that she _wasn't_ breathing -

"Aun lair?"

"Y...Just - one s- moment - Raine," she managed to whisper - _or was it croak_ - out, trying desperately to slow her pounding heartbeat _that she hadn't realized was beating a mile a second._

The child tightened her hold around her neck - and that gesture, the feeling of her warm niece in her arms, hearing Raine hum an 'okay!' at her - somehow, just _somehow_, calmed her down; and those - that - that _strange thing_ - it _disappeared_.

Lightning exhaled.

She pressed a hand to her face, trying to rub the lethargy and disoriented thoughts away, and looked around.

Where was...where was she?

White-blue painted walls, desk on one side, cupboard on the other; a... _her_ military garb hanging on the door of her wardrobe -

Lightning was in her room. Her own room, in Oerba.

Something growled again; Raine's stomach.

She couldn't help it this time: she snorted lightly and moved, testingly, to get out of bed - Raine was still hanging off her like a koala bear, and she would be damned if she dropped the child. It was a dizzying moment when she tried to stand; her whole body felt heavy from disuse, like something heavier than Raine was weighing down on her shoulders, and her balance was off.

The soldier stood there for one full minute, unmoving, and she exhaled when the dizziness passed.

"Raine?"

"Yes, aun lair?"

"Where's Se - your mother? And your father?"

"Oh." That bright voice dulled a little, "Mommy's...not feeling well."

Lightning paused, the concern for her sister cutting into her disorientation. She shifted her hold on her niece to look at the suddenly sullen child. "Why?"

"Daddy sed mom din slep well, so he med her go to seep. Mommy and Hope was wathing aun lair for the las few ays.."

Wathing? Las few ays?

What..? It was a very long one minute before that statement made sense.

Watching. Last few days.

"Oh." she said in response, distractedly. How long had she been asleep..? And _what the hell was - is - wrong with her?_

Her niece's stomach growled again, as if on cue.

"Hungy," came the petulant whine.

She sighed, half amused and half exasperated over her interrupted thoughts that were slowly, very slowly, clearing. Then she poked Raine's forehead fondly before maneuvering to the door, cautiously, carefully; the severity of the dull ache in her head seemed to be proportional to how quickly she moved.

"Let's get you some food." _And some answers for me._

The little girl cheered.

_一_

The first thing she saw when she made her way downstairs to the hall was Hope asleep on the couch.

She stopped at the edge of the furniture, watching him snore.

He looked as if he had been...had _not_ been sleeping, with papers (scribbled on in a messy scrawl she couldn't even begin to read) spread messily across the table, an empty cup with dark brown substance at its bottom by the side, with a crumpled shirt, unshaven, and - a beard? Hope had a beard. For Lightning, that still took some time to get used to, even though she had been one of the first few who noticed when it first started.

_" - running himself ragged - "_

She froze. Her gaze snapped around the room, grip tightening protectively on Raine - _where did she put her sword _- what the_ hell _was that and who -

"Aun lair?" Raine asked curiously, unsure of why she had stopped.

There was only silence, save for Hope's deep breathing and Raine's bubbling restlessness.

Lightning exhaled, running an agitated hand through faded cherry locks.

Her imagination? Maybe. Quite possibly. She wondered if she could chalk it up to her muddled thoughts and headache and the _strangeness_ of everything, but the soldier part of her, and the instinctive part of her, refused to let it slide.

She was forgetting _something_, and Hope was quite possibly the only one who could give her answers.

The impatient part of Lightning wanted to shake Hope awake and get answers, but the more protective, maternal side of her that considered him family wanted to let him rest, because, whatever it was that happened to herself, it was clear that he had been affected greatly.

Answers could wait, and - her thoughts froze.

It was there again. That - the feeling of something draping over her shoulders - like an invisible, warm cloak - a _presence_ at the back of her mind she could not begin to identify, foreign and comforting and _reassuring_ at the same time -

She felt the collar of her shirt tugged lightly.

"Aun lair?"

Lightning breathed in again, and forced herself to relax. That feeling vanished, oddly enough. But the dull throb was still there.

( - and a small part of her told her that this..._whatever this was_, should raise warning bells, but it was so muted, and so, so _silent_ - )

"Hope's sleeping," she told the child softly, moving again, this time to the kitchen. "We've to be quiet, okay?"

"Okay," was the considerably quieter response, nearing a whisper.

She needed a damned aspirin.

一

Footsteps. Footsteps that were growing rapid.

"Raine, where are you?" a worried voice called.

From around the rim of her cup, Lightning's gaze slanted to her niece in front of her , who - to her veiled, growing amusement - was looking immensely guilty, the plastic spoon flicking up and down from between her lips.

"..You sneaked out of your mother's room?" she asked in a stern tone, taking a sip from her water, in a voice soft enough to be only heard by Raine. It wouldn't do to let the kid realize she was more humored than anything else; best not to encourage that kind of behavior... even if it was amusing.

And in retrospect, Lightning should have realized that the little girl must have sneaked out to get to her room - she was still a little too young for any of the adults to feel comfortable leaving Raine to her own devices.

Not to mention Raine always _did_ have a habit of sneaking up to some sort of mischief right under her parents' noses.

"..Mommy was ired, and I din wan to wade her up..." the girl muttered.

Lightning's lips twitched. Then something occurred to her: "How did you get into my room?"

She was almost certain that, unless if Raine had had a growth spurt over the past few... days?... she was unconscious, the child just wouldn't be able to actually reach the doorknob to open it. Which would, also, answer why Serah didn't check her room to see if Raine was there (because if Serah did, she would have been in for a surprise).

Big blue eyes stared up at her unblinkingly. "Daddy lef the door oven."

_...Oaf. _

"RAINE?" The footsteps were getting louder; she was coming downstairs.

The soldier ruffled her niece's hair gently, and called back - "In the kitchen, Serah."

Silence reigned.

And then:

"Éclair..?" Her sister's voice sounded hoarse this time.

The footsteps slowed as they neared the kitchen, and became so much quieter at the same time, as if she was..._afraid_, if Lightning had to put a word to it.

Afraid.

Serah was afraid.

It made the soldier wonder just how long she had been unconscious, and what had happened - her stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought, and for the briefest second, she wished she _had_ woken Hope up -

Her sister appeared by the doorway, and remained there, frozen with astonishment, disbelief and tears in her eyes.

Tears?

She felt herself freeze for the briefest second at the sight, utterly shocked and confused. Serah was crying. _Why?_

Awkwardly, she placed the cup she'd been holding on the table, and turned to face her sister. Serah's gaze darted to Raine, and Lightning saw relief flashing, but when it settled back on _her_ - she felt herself tensing up. The turmoil of emotions that played in Serah's blue eyes ranged from disbelief to hope to fear.

And it seemed as if all Serah could do was take one step into the kitchen while staring at her.

But it said _so much_, especially when Serah didn't seem to be able to move any further, looking at her like she might be a trick of the eye, an _illusion_; lifting a trembling hand as if to reach out to _her_, to reach out to something she thought she wouldn't be able to ever _touch and feel again_ -

"...Éclair?" A whisper, trembling, and so, so _raw_ with clogged up emotions.

Watching Serah like this because of...whatever it was that happened, made her throat feel unexplainably dry. She wanted to ask so many things, but seeing her _sister_ like this shoved all those questions to the back of her mind.

Lightning cleared her throat.

"Hey, Serah," she said, head cocking slightly.

It was as if her voice was Serah's undoing - the younger Farron took another step, and that step turned into a run that barreled into her - and her soldier's reflexes were all that stopped them from falling over; one arm went around Serah's shoulders, the other pressed onto the table - "Serah - "

"I was so afraid - " her sister started to say, then jerkily cut herself off, voice hoarse and trembling - "you wouldn't wake up - I - we didn't know what to do, and no one knew what was going on and - and - you...you _died_ - "

Lightning's thoughts froze. Her headache spiked.

She died?

Her sister's misty pale blue eyes stared into her startled ones.

"You died." Serah whispered. "You wouldn't _breathe_ - and - and - you were so still - " The tears streamed now. She was crying, and that _sight_ - "Hope managed to get you breathing again, but then you would - you would _relapse_ again and again and _again_ - you - "

She pounded on her chest, weakly, and Lightning could feel the trembling of those fists; another pound - "you - you were - "

A strangled choke; and she struck again - this time nearly knocking the breath out of her with its force - Lightning grasped those fists this time, pressing them to her; because she knew the next strike _would_ knock her breath out - "Serah - "

"You were so still - " Serah's voice trembled, and there was so much pain and_ fear_ in there - "you_ were so still_ - "

"I'm sorry," she heard herself say, whisper, so softly she could barely even hear it herself, as if the words came tumbling out on their own; something in her ached to see Serah like _this_ even if she couldn't begin to understand what happened, and she released her grip to enfold the younger woman into a hug - "I'm sorry, Serah - "

And for a while, they just stood there, watched by a confused Raine.

一一一

A/N: The "Masters of Miracles" reference started by way of Fang in the Save Vanille/Sazh chapter of the game (Japanese). It is used and mentioned a few times after that, and right up to the end of the game, as a title for our favourite l'cie. And I can't really do justice to that title cast on our favourite l'cie by trying to explain its relevance, honestly...it may even sound lame to you, right now; so the best I can say is, watch or play the Japanese version of the game, and you'll see what I mean.

I've also received several offhand questions, on this site and elsewhere, asking about the l'cie title. I hesitated to answer because of the mention I'd use in this chapter and reasons above, and I apologize for that. But you're welcome to message me for more/other information regarding the Japanese version of the game, if you'd like, and I'll do my best to respond.

On another issue...Japanese suffixes. Or nicknames. Such as "nee-san," "Light-san" and etc. Considering that I'm trying to press on the J. ver, I really should use these suffixes. But...I decided not to, in the end, because there's a bunch of question marks surrounding certain suffixes that makes me cringe to try dealing with them.

Either way, though...I'd like to say that long fics and chapters are not my forte, nor is adventure type of fic something I'm experienced in writing. I'm more of a drama/angst writer. Expect differences in terms of quality, and whatnot, in upcoming chapters. Even for this chapter alone, I had been tempted to cut off the chapter at the end of dream sequence, but decided not to.

This is actually a rather new thing for me, so, eh. All plot holes (minus unknown ones) have been ironed out. I've around twenty pages worth of notes with a good amount of time from the past week or so spent on it by both the beta and I. There's a news feed of sort on the bio page for this fic, which may be updated sporadically if you're interested.

...With any luck, some good inspiration and lack of laziness, this fic will hopefully be completed. Chapter is beta-ed by Astarael00, per usual, and I hope you've found it an enjoyable read.

Reviews, I dub thee food for inspiration.


	3. Pandora's Box

_**Minus Six**  
II: Pandora's Box_

Hope had looked and sounded as emotionally fragile as Serah was.

Only...worse.

She had been more prepared this time (after her experience with Serah), but was still as sorely surprised, if not more - she hadn't expected to recieve a Hope who had dropped to his knees and clung to her hands like they were his _lifeline_, his head bowed, sobbing out apologies - and Lightning had rather awkwardly alternated between trying to reassure him and getting him to stand, while Serah carried Raine out of the kitchen - and the soldier was _grateful_ that Serah knew a private scene when she saw one, even when the younger Farron was still struggling with her own emotions.

He wouldn't release his grip on her even when she tried to pry them off gently - and it was an odd feeling to have his larger, stronger hands grasp hers and make it difficult for her to move (without hurting him) instead of the other way round - she could still remember the day when he had been just a little over half her size, and when she had had the stronger grip.

Having him behave like this, holding onto her like it was all he could do to make sure she was really _there, in front of him,_ and _alive_; with green eyes filled with so much disbelief and hope and fear and guilt was just..

Lightning tried to understand, she really did - and to some extent, she did get where they were coming from. She had lost her sister to fal'cie almost a decade ago, and then gained her back later with a pack of misfits to go along.

That, however, didn't mean whatever Hope and Serah - and whoever else - went through when she was...was in that state was easier than that time. If nothing else, it _looked_ and _sounded_ like it was so much worse. And knowing that only made something in her ache further. She didn't want to see Serah cry again. She didn't want Hope to behave as if he would lose everything if she died.

She knew she couldn't really fault him for thinking or feeling so; his father died a year after Cocoon fell, so all he had left was her, and the former l'cie. But mostly - _mostly_ - the one he had looked to after that was _her_.

But realizing all these things didn't mean she knew how to deal with this Hope that sounded completely lost.

He wasn't calming down.

At this point, Lightning didn't think he would.

It was also at this point, while she was distracted, that she felt _another_ pair of hands - this time bigger and more muscular - _bear-hugging_ her from behind, and they held on so tightly and quite possibly for dear _life_ that they literally made her go _"oof!" _in her surprise. Whether it was her surprise, or just _Hope_ being startled, the silver haired man released his grip on her and -

"Sis! You're awake! I knew you'd be awake! Hahah!"

_Snow_.

The realization took only a split second, and the part of her that had been alarmed at being gripped suddenly was washed away by irritation.

She slammed a hard, unsympathetic elbow into his stomach instantly.

In response, he released her, and groaned loudly - loud enough that Serah and Raine, who were in the living room, heard it; her niece immediately cheering, "Daddy's back!"

Lightning glared at a doubled-over Snow, her gaze flickering momentarily to the back door that was ajar before returning to him. He came from the back. Why didn't she hear the door opening?

She scowled.

"...sis still throws a mean punch," Snow croaked out, and Serah - who seemed to have decided to peek in from the doorway - squawked and begun to fuss over him.

"Lightning!" came her little sister's exasperated tone.

She glared more. Brother-in-law or no - even if her punches at his face had been reduced to cuffs and pats on shoulders - she drew the line at him _hugging_ her. She didn't do affectionate with _Snow_.

"He asked for it," was Lightning's annoyed response, before her gaze flickered back to Hope, who was gaping.

His face was tear-streaked, but he _wasn't_ crying anymore; his desperation had just about vanished, and he just... looked astonished.

"Hope...?" she asked, concerned. She wasn't sure if this was better than before; he certainly wasn't breaking down anymore, but -

He blinked. And blinked some more. Then stood up awkwardly.

Her thoughts paused momentarily. Hope was finally finding himself again. Did that...

Her eyes moved back to Snow, who was currently being ushered out of the kitchen by Serah.

Did Snow hug her _on purpose_?

The blond man apparently caught her look, because he _winked_ at her just before he disappeared from the doorway.

...She really wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"I - " Hope started to say only to stop a second later. He rubbed at his wet face and eyes, exhaled, cleared his dry throat, "Light, I - " guilt and stress was apparent on his face again, though not overwhelming as it was previously - "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I - " Another jerky stop; his eyes dropped to the floor.

Lightning sighed. He was certainly not breaking down anymore, but... that didn't mean this was better.

However, _this, _she could deal with.

"Hey," she said quietly, moving a finger under his chin to lift it up to face hers. "Look me in the eye when you're talking, Hope."

There were tears gathering in his eyes again, and so much _guilt_ - "I'm sorry - "

"None of it," she interrupted firmly, "was your fault."

He looked ready to protest, but she didn't let him cut her off. "Serah only got as far as telling me that I blacked out after touching that...green water. Which is barely a start." _She took a while to calm down. Like you._ "But to begin with, _I_ should have controlled my curiosity and _not_ touched the water. You said it yourself; it's an unknown substance and we don't know what it can do. And yet _I_ chose to touch it."

"But - "

"Hope," the first hints of warning had entered her voice. "It's not your fault. It's _mine_. _I_ touched it even when I knew we had no idea what it could do."

He deflated, but he looked like he still wanted to dispute that.

And somehow she had a feeling they would be agreeing to disagree, because the first hints of defiance and fire appeared in his green eyes.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose again - why did she have the feeling she would be doing that a lot more frequently from now on?

Again, she sighed. The lethargy that had vanished with her surprise at both Serah and Hope had decided to make its comeback. Tenfold. The dull headache came back with a vengeance. The aspirin she took - three pills - didn't help, but she wasn't about to risk taking more.

And something, _once again_, was draped over her shoulder, and..._in and around_ her. Something so strange and comforting at the same time. Something that was soothing her frayed nerves.

Lightning didn't know what to do with it. Honestly, she didn't. She tensed up twice earlier when that..._sensation_ came, and now, she didn't even feel the urge to be on guard anymore. It was _strange_.

Like she was already getting used to it.

(the soldier part of her warned her _again_ that _this should raise alarm bells_, only they weren't ringing, and it was so _quiet_ - )

"Light?" There was a tinge of worry and a spike of panic in Hope's voice. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Suddenly, all the older Farron wanted to do was to go back to bed and _sleep this exhaustion away_.

_Etro_, thought the soldier wearily. _Why am I so tired?_

"I'm fine," she muttered, and shook her head, half-hoping it would help in making the lethargy leave. "Come on," she said, already turning to head to the hall, "I want to know what happened, and now is a good time as any."

This time, that _presence_ didn't leave her.

_一_

Hope rubbed wearily at his face with both hands; elbow resting on his knees.

She glanced at the man sitting next to him.

It was strange, to see Snow this serious and silent, but Lightning appreciated that Snow could be serious when needed. He cocked an eyebrow back at her; waiting now like the silent, steady support he was probably trying to be for Hope.

Then Hope exhaled. His fingers clasped together in one tight ball before he placed them on the table; on top of the stack of papers that had been scattered messily earlier.

"When you touched the water, it..." his face twisted, as if unsure of how to describe it. "It..._ran_ up your arm. It literally...kept going up, swirling, until - " his green eyes dropped to her...her chest?

Hope rubbed at the bridge of his nose, a little awkwardly, and averted his gaze from her. There was a faint tinge of pink on his cheeks.

And from the corner of her eyes, she noticed Snow smirk, though he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Keep going," she told Hope, tone otherwise unreadable; arms crossing.

In response, he cleared his throat. Whatever was it that Hope had thought, he had successfully shoved it to the back of his mind with a hard kick.

It made her want to grin, just a little. He was definitely a young man who had just got out of teenage-hood.

But she didn't smile; right now, she wanted answers.

"Your...your brand, it was on your chest, right..?" he asked, completely serious.

And because he was serious, Lightning ignored the slight pinkness on his cheeks and answered accordingly.

"It was." Her hand moved to press at the place where her brand once was. And she was suddenly alarmed - was he trying to say it reappeared?

"Don't worry. It's not there." Hope immediately clarified; and she felt herself suck in a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "We - uh, I mean Serah - checked...um. Checked around you just in case too. There's nothing." He was being evasive, but not for reasons Lightning couldn't understand. She ignored the way Snow's lips were twitching.

Still, she tried feeling around that same area over her thin shirt, waiting and dreading to feel the familiar bump only to find none.

Opposite her, Hope continued.

"It's just...that green water thing - it was..._focused_ onto where your brand once was. Your arm was glowing green, _you_ were glowing, but it was the brightest around your brand. And then you - " he stopped, eyes darkening, and exhaled again before pushing on. "You drew your hand back so fast you were literally falling backwards. I almost didn't catch you. The water - it left you then."

He was silent again.

Lightning didn't say anything this time, and waited expectantly.

He continued. "You were coughing up blood when I caught you. You were bleeding from your nose. You weren't breathing properly. Then you blacked out. Then - you woke up - or at least, I _think_ you woke up, but - "

His fingers dug into the skin of his hands, and his gaze dropped from hers.

"You...you just stopped breathing."

She remained silent. This was where Serah had gotten to, when Hope scrambled up to her.

Despite all the confusion Lightning felt, she knew this was the difficult part to talk about; and it showed in the way concern was flickering in Snow's eyes, and in the way he placed a reassuring hand on Hope's shoulders.

He exhaled again, and looked at her; his gaze dark and shadowed, pained and searching; looking as if he was trying to reassure himself again that she was _there_ -

"You wouldn't breathe," he said, voice _haunted_, "And - you stayed that way for a couple - maybe five - minutes."

Five minutes.

More than enough to incur lack of oxygen to the brain.

"And when you breathed - when you started breathing _again_, it was - it was - " She could see the tears forming in his eyes again. "It was just so _wonderful_."

He rubbed at his nose with both hands; kept them there, but continued, more quietly now.

"We - Sazh and I - brought you back here. Got a doctor to see you. He couldn't find anything wrong, said you were just sleeping. All of us were relieved. But - but then - you - you stopped breathing _again_. I - I don't - " His voice trembled.

This was when Snow took over. He squeezed Hope's shoulder, and looked at her directly.

"You relapsed. You stopped breathing, five minutes, and then started again," he said, voice serious, sad, but composed (_thankfully_, Lightning thought). "And no one knew what to do, aside from trying to get you to breathe again."

Silence.

"And it was a pattern - stop breathing, start breathing, stop, start, stop, start. You - " Snow faltered, and the first hints of pain and worry were there in his tone. "You just wouldn't wake up," he said. "We were - we were watching you, constantly, because we didn't know when you would stop breathing and we - we didn't know if you would breathe again if we didn't do anything and - " he stopped, likely because he was beginning to ramble.

Another period of silence.

"We didn't know what to do, and we didn't know what's wrong. No one could figure it out." he said at last. "And this went on for - two weeks."

Now _this_ she had to respond to, eyebrows shooting up, hands uncurling of their own accord.

"_Two weeks_?"

She was - _two weeks_?

Two -

"Two weeks. It happened less and less gradually but - it _still_ happened. " Snow said. "Hope - " he gestured at the younger man beside him, " - was a lifesaver. He created this device that kept track of your breathing and heartbeat so that we didn't have to stick to the chair next to your bed around the clock. If you stopped breathing, it would transmit to that baby there," he pointed at the black box hanging by the wall, "which will let out a_ really_ annoying shrill beep that would wake everyone in the house."

Her mouth opened once, closed, then her eyes darted from Snow to Hope to the black box to Snow again. "Device?"

Snow poked at his left ear.

Her hand moved instinctively to touch her own - and felt something smooth, cold and metallic clasped on her ear, at the bottom - much like a earring.

Why didn't she notice it before? He - Hope had designed it cleverly - she would have noticed it if it was somewhere else, or if it was bigger. But this was weightless, thin, and near unnoticeable unless she decided to look for it in a mirror or touch her ear.

"It was a lifesaver," Snow said again, his tone unusually somber, "We would have ran ourselves ragged otherwise. You relapsed a few more times after that. And then..." He searched her features for anything possibly _wrong_. "And then you woke up."

Her gaze moved back to a silent Hope who was studiously staring at his hands; she was still fingering at the - device absently.

"I...see." She said, though she honestly really didn't. That wasn't to say that she didn't understand what had happened, she _did_, it was just... how could she even begin to describe _her_ confusion and..._everything_?

Lightning tilted her head slightly, and tried to remove the device - "It's definitely served its purpose then. I - "

"No!"

She paused. Or was it froze?

Hope had shot up from his seat, leaned over the table, and grasped her hand, pulling it away from the device.

"Hope - "

"No! I - " he jerkily stopped, and his grip tightened. He exhaled. "Just...please, Light. Don't take it off."

She stared, too surprised to say anything.

"_Please_," Hope begged; his hand was trembling. "Just - for a little while more. Don't - don't take it off. Please. I - I - we still don't know if - we - we don't - it's not even hindering you from doing anything, right? You barely even feel it there, so - so..._please_."

"Sis.."

Lightning glanced at Snow.

Her brother-in-law didn't say anything, but his face was grave and worried enough that she knew he would like her to keep it on too.

That meant Serah would too, and... so would whoever else.

She sighed, feeling weary.

Her hand itched to rub at the bridge of her nose again.

But instead, she moved her other hand to fold it over Hope's, and squeezed lightly.

"Okay," she said, quietly, a wry smile crossing her face at the sight of relief on Hope's face, "only because you're clever enough to make it so it wouldn't hinder me from doing what I need to do. I'll keep it on."

_一_

It had been her turn to talk after that. Only...she didn't have much to say, because she only remembered jerking her hand back from that strange green water, then waking up exhausted, with the most terrible headache ever.

(And she hadn't felt compelled to say anything about the presence lingering all around her_, why?_)

After that, the topic turned to the still crystallized comrades of theirs.

Hope was giving her a conflicted look.

"I don't think it's a good idea to use that water on Fang and Vanille anymore, Light. I just...don't know."

And Lightning could see where he was coming from. They didn't know what it did to her; what would it do to Fang and Vanille in their crystallized state?

That was when their conversation came to a halt, and Lightning left the house ("I want some time alone," she had told the other two males simply).

But even so.

Why did she feel like he _should_ use the water on them?

He should, because...he _should_.

She felt the urge to rub at the bridge of her nose again.

Nothing made sense. _Nothing_.

What the hell was wrong with her? Did something invade her mind? if it was the usual her, would she have agreed with Hope and not do it? Would she have...

_Etro_, she was going _insane_.

Her head pounded.

"Waaaark!"

She blinked, startled out of her reverie.

_" - ight!"_

Someone was calling her.

Hand moving instinctively to the sword hanging by her hip, she looked around sharply.

_" - Light!"_

Her pale blue eyes honed in on the direction that sound came from. It sounded pretty far.

"_Light_, _HELP!_"

A sharp chill ran down her spine.

She could recognize that shape of hair anywhere, even from the distance.

Only two people she knows have such hair, and only one would have a chocobo with him at almost all times.

_Dajh._

"_Waaaarrrkkkk!"_ the chocobo cried sharply.

From where she was, she could see it flapping its wings, backpedaling with Dajh on its back, and trying to strike at something she couldn't see, blocked by the boulder -

It sounded panicked, alert_, defensive._

She sped towards them.

_一_

A gorgonosopid.

Why, _why_ in the world was there a gorgonosopid near Oerba?

(for that matter, _when_ had she ventured out of Oerba _and why didn't she notice - _)

The copper wolf-like monster snapped its jaws at Dajh and the chocobo - growling menacingly.

She had to act fast.

Lightning could see it lean forward slightly - it was preparing to jump. And there was no way - _no way_ - the chocobo could evade it, given how swift that creature was.

_And she would not be there in time_.

She skidded to a halt, gripped her sword tightly before loosening, lifted her hand backwards -

_"Breathe in, hold, and__loose the spear. That's how you throw it, Light. That's lesson one for Oerban hunting style." _

Her sword sailed, cutting through the air with a crisp, sharp sound - she didn't wait to see if it would hit, again speeding towards them; but that didn't mean she wasn't watching where it was going -

_Hit, damn you. _

The weapon pierced into the monster's _eye_.

_"Aim for the eye if you don't know their weakness. Or if their skin is__too hard to pierce. The eye."_

And it _howled_.

She didn't stop; it wasn't down yet. She merely bought Dajh and her a little time.

Now, she would be there in time.

Another fifteen steps.

The gorgonosopid growled at Dajh and the chocobo again, this time with far, far more menace in it; blood dripping down from its eye, the sword still there -

Ten steps.

"Waaaaark!"

Seven steps -

She _sprung_, somersaulting midair - and landed _on top_ of the monster. It howled again, surprised, and tried to shake her off; to which she responded by gripping one of the spikes jutting out from its spine tightly. At the same time, her other hand curled itself around her sword and drew it out in one swift motion - blood splattered -

The piercing cry of pain rang in the air.

She didn't wait.

Lightning shoved the sword back into it, from the top; downwards into its flesh.

It jerked.

Then it fell.

A couple long beats passed, and the former soldier exhaled, once more drawing her sword out before getting off it.

The chocobo in front of her flapped its wings, leaning forward a little, beak brushing against her gently.

"Wark."

She petted it back gently, flicking her sword shut before placing it back in the sheath.

Her eyes shut momentarily, and she sighed. She could still feel her heart beating terribly fast, her shoulders tense; the adrenaline wasn't all gone yet.

"T - thank you.."

Dajh.

The boy wriggled his way down from atop the chocobo.

She exhaled again, and felt a sudden relief flooding in.

If she hadn't been there. If she _hadn't_ _been_ _there_.

And maybe it was the relief and dying adrenaline (how did she even manage to move so quickly before?), but the dizziness returned with a vengeance. Her vision swam, and she could feel herself _stumbling_ -

"Wark."

She could feel herself leaning against the chocobo - when had it moved to her side?

But all the same, she found herself thanking it mentally.

"L - Light! Are you okay?" Dajh, frantic.

Lightning exhaled, shutting her eyes, and she held up a hand to stall his words.

It was another couple long beats before she felt it safe enough to slant her eyes open at Dajh.

"You," she told the boy who shrunk at her sudden sharp tone," should not have been wandering this far out."

Dajh looked down, scuffing his foot. "I'm sorry."

Lightning grimaced, rubbing at the bridge of her nose again.

"Why _are_ you this far out?" she asked him. She knew the boy had an adventurous spirit, but he was smart enough to know where he could and could not go for safety reasons.

It was like he suddenly remembered something, and his gaze shot towards a crevice in the rocks a short distance behind him.

"Oh. Oh! Light, it needs help!"

He was suddenly tugging at her arm, pulling her forward.

"It?" she repeated, frowning, but let herself be pulled as she released the chocobo (which walked by her side faithfully, and she wondered if it was watching out for her in the event she has another episode of dizziness).

"It's injured!"

As soon as they reached the boulders, Dajh bent, and his hands shot forward into the fissures to pull out...something.

"It's okay, it's okay.." Dajh muttered quietly.

Lightning bent down next to him.

In the boy's arms was a small white furry creature of some sort; with sharp, pointed ears, little claws, and reddish, leathery wings that twitched slightly.

It was also streaked in blood, and trembling.

Lightning had no idea what it was.

She wondered if it was even safe for Dajh to hold.

(_it is_, something in her said, and the soldier part of her relaxed. _It is.)_

"Kupo..."

The creature nipped at Dajh's palm gently, weakly.

"It was helping me escape from the gorgonosipid pack," the boy said quietly, "then it got injured. But there was another one still chasing me, so I hid him here.."

_And played bait_, Lightning mentally supplied in her head.

The soldier did not know whether to praise his actions or scold him for his recklessness.

"Please help him." Dajh stared up at her with tears-brimmed eyes.

She eyed the creature silently.

"Wark," chimed the chocobo. Its feet tapped at the ground lightly.

Lightning sighed.

"Let me see," she moved to take the small creature into her arms.

"Kupo," it whined softly.

Dirt and cuts covered its little body. She could see a large claw mark on its belly, the gash wide and open with blood flowing out slowly.

Though she had never seen this creature before, she could tell the accumulated injuries were serious.

And there was some part of her that knew for certain - from the way it slumped in her arms to how shallow its breathing was - it was going to _die_, quite possibly in a couple minutes.

She didn't think she'd make it back to Oerba in time even with the chocobo.

Her pouch held medical items for emergency situations, but - _damn it_.It wouldn't be enough, and to begin with, she didn't even know what this was and if what she had would work for it.

If only she could still heal like when they were l'cie...

Something _surged_ in her.

She could feel heat emanating from her palms.

"Light?" Dajh stared at her. "You...your hands are glowing."

The soldier didn't respond; she was staring too.

Soft white light, warm and gentle, was flowing from her hands to the creature. Something, from her very _core_, was moving to her arms like water running down a stream, into her palms, before releasing it.

And the wound - that large, open gash on its stomach, was _closing_.

She stopped breathing.

Was she _healing_ it?

Its left ear twitched.

"Kupo.."

The creature's blue eyes cracked open to meet hers.

"Kupo!"

She couldn't stop herself from sucking in a sharp breath.

_She'd healed it_.

一一一

A/N: Yes, she can heal. No, not l'cie, as I've mentioned previously, and yes, I've a justified reason, much like I've reasons for all the little things that may or may not be noticeable at this stage - and no, you won't know till later. :)

On other news - my apologies for how late this is. I've also been having a bit of difficulty with tenses. Sometimes I go present tense, and then jerk to a stop, because, hey, it's supposed to be in _past tense_. So it's all very...jerky. Which is why...well. I don't know if I'll switch to present tense from next chapter onwards, but this is just a fore-warning that it _might_ happen.

Thanks to Rae for beta-ing, and hope it was a good read.

- Ext.


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